I shouldn't have liked this book. It's about a politician dealing with her first year in office as President of the United Federation of Planets. That doesn't sound interesting to me, i'd much rather be out on the frontier seeing ships explore. But despite this I enjoyed the book, because the characters are great and it gives you a look at the Federation, we don't see Starfleet officers on duty, we see college students and civilians views on the Federation. We get a look at the way the Federation is run. While I was very disappointed that the government just seems to be a cut and paste of the United States system it was still entertaining. Recommended for anyone with an interest in a different look at the Federation or just anyone who enjoys KRAD's books.

This is the most different Star Trek novel I have ever read and let me tell you, its not just worthy of 5 badges, it deserved 10. This book never lets down (unlike the latter series of the West Wing- on which this is book is shamelessly based). I can't recommend this book enough- it is stunning from start to finish and is simply incredable. My only superficial critism is that some of the secondary characters aren't felshed out, but when your hanging out with the likes of Esperanza Piniero and President Nanietta Bacco, who honestly gives a flying frack. The best scene of the novel comes at the end of the book when Bacco finally grasps the lengths that Admiral Ross would go to, to see Min Zife pay for what he did on Tezwa. GO OUT AND GET THIS STUNNING BOOK. This is very worthy of a TV series.

A classy, smart, sassy book that really sets itself apart from regular Trek with deep and interestinf characters and humour by the bucket-loads. This Star Trek take on the ultra popular West Wing should be made into a TV series and confirms my opinion that Keith R.A CanDido is too talented and must be destroyed immediatly. THE best Trek novel out there and one of the best books I've ever read. Period.

Great book, unusual, but very well written and very interesting to see how the civilian politics part of Star Trek looks like. DeCandido is one of those writers who seem to know every part of their universe, because everything they write fits in with previous established facts. The single most revealing moment of that fact is in the last part of the book, when Klingon chancellor Martok meets Romulan praetor Tal'Aura, and her voice reminds him of his late wife Sirella - both were played by the same actress, Shannon Cochran! I love the attention to such details! Both thumbs up!